Revenue Department in Gujar Khan has glossed over a land scam by tampering the revenue records of Gujar Khan City and its adjoining areas. A few days ago, it was disclosed in a press conference that Azhar Kiani, a recently suspended patwari had replaced the names of the genuine land owners in the land records with the help of a specific group of land mafia and deprived a number of genuine land owners of their precious properties.

A number of people complained that their land record has been tampered with and transferred to a new landowner. The aggrieved persons filed a complaint that led to the suspension of the alleged patwari. However, when the aggrieved party tried to regain possession, a criminal case was filed against them and their family members with the involvement of police. However, they approached different authorities from assistant commissioner to the tehsildar but none of them resolved the case.

More than 50 mutation numbers in Jhanda, Negail Umer Khan and Barki Budhal areas had been tampered with and their revenue records were available. One of the aggrieved persons showed the documents wherein the names of genuine land owners were erased but was not refilled. The scam was exposed by Ch Jameel Patwari, who had taken over the charge after Azhar Kiani was suspended.

However, on pointing out the large scale tampering, they suspended him as well. Upon inquiry, Saqib Zafar, DCO Rawalpindi, said the complaint had been received and an inquiry was being conducted by the additional deputy commissioner (general) Rawalpindi.